Ferrous Sulfate / Folic Acid News

FRIDAY, June 17, 2016 – Adding folic acid to corn masa flour could help reduce birth defects among Hispanic babies in the United States, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration says. The FDA recently approved the addition of folic acid, a B vitamin, to corn masa flour, which is used in foods such as tortillas, tacos, tortilla chips and tamales. "By adding folic acid to corn masa flour, we have the opportunity to impact a large segment of the U.S. population and protect parents and their children from the devastating birth defects that are linked to insufficient folic acid consumed by the mother before and during pregnancy," said Dr. Jonca Bull, director of the FDA's Office of Minority Health. When consumed by pregnant women, folic acid is known to lower the risk of a baby being born with neural tube defects, which affect the brain, spine and spinal cord. While folic acid has long been ... Read more

-- Being a wife and mother are important, but women need to take care of themselves, too. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests: See your doctor for regular screenings and checkups. Get plenty of exercise, including aerobic and strengthening exercises. Eat a nutritious, balanced diet that's rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean proteins. Get enough folic acid, and limit alcohol use. Stay mentally healthy by finding ways to cope with stress, and getting plenty of sleep each night. Don't smoke, use caution with prescription drugs, and protect your skin daily with sunscreen. Read more

WEDNESDAY, May 11, 2016 – Pregnant women are encouraged to get plenty of folic acid in their diet or through vitamin supplements, to protect their babies against birth defects of the brain and spinal cord. But a new study suggests that excessive amounts of folate (vitamin B9) and vitamin B12 in a mother's body might increase a baby's risk of developing an autism spectrum disorder. "The new research question before us is to understand the optimal dose," said co-researcher Daniele Fallin. She is a professor at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore. "Some [folate] is a good thing. It does appear the levels in the body could get too high, and that would be a bad thing," she said. "Supplementation is indeed an important thing," Fallin added. "We would not want anyone to interpret from this that they should stop taking vitamin supplements if they are intending to ... Read more

MONDAY, March 21, 2016 – More seniors than ever are taking supplements alongside their medications, a practice that puts them at risk for dangerous drug interactions, researchers report. More than 15 percent of older Americans took potentially life-threatening combinations of prescription medications, over-the-counter drugs and dietary supplements in 2011, the study showed. That was almost a twofold increase from 2005, when 8.4 percent of seniors did so. "Alongside the growing use of multiple medications, there is also a hidden, and increasing, risk of potentially deadly drug interactions in older adults," said lead researcher Dr. Dima Qato. She is an assistant professor of pharmacy systems at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Many of these interactions involved heart drugs and supplements, such as omega-3 fish oil supplements, which are more commonly used now than they were five ... Read more

WEDNESDAY, May 13, 2015 – A cheap and easily available vitamin supplement appears to reduce a person's risk of skin cancer, new research contends. A form of vitamin B3 called nicotinamide is linked to a reduction of non-melanoma skin cancers by 23 percent when taken twice daily, according to Australian researchers. "It's safe, it's almost obscenely inexpensive, and it's already widely commercially available," said senior author Dr. Diona Damian, a professor of dermatology at the University of Sydney. Nicotinamide costs less than $10 for a month's supply and is available at pharmacies and health food stores, she said. However, more study is needed before researchers can say whether everyone would benefit from the supplement. "It's not something we'd recommend at this stage for the general population," Damian said. The study is slated for presentation May 30 at the upcoming annual ... Read more

FRIDAY, May 8, 2015 – For obese Americans who are low on vitamin D, taking a supplement of the nutrient might help them lose weight, a new study suggests. According to an Italian team, led by Luisella Vigna of the University of Milan, prior research has shown that vitamin D deficiency is associated with a higher risk of obesity and obesity-related complications. However, studies on the use of vitamin D supplements to curb obesity have so far been inconclusive, the team said. The new study included 400 overweight and obese people with vitamin D deficiency who were put on a low-calorie diet and then divided into three groups. One group took no vitamin D supplements, while the two other groups took either 25,000 international units (IU) or 100,000 IU of vitamin D per month. After six months, participants in both vitamin D supplementation groups had lost more weight and had greater ... Read more

THURSDAY, April 30, 2015 – People who live in regions with low sunlight may have a higher risk of pancreatic cancer, possibly because they don't get enough vitamin D from the sun, new research suggests. "If you're living at a high latitude or in a place with a lot of heavy cloud cover, you can't make vitamin D most of the year, which results in a higher-than-normal risk of getting pancreatic cancer," said study co-author Dr. Cedric Garland. He is an adjunct professor with the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine's Department of Family Medicine and Public Health. "People who live in sunny countries near the equator have only one-sixth of the age-adjusted incidence rate of pancreatic cancer as those who live far from it," Garland said in a university news release. "The importance of sunlight deficiency strongly suggests – but does not prove – that vitamin D deficiency ... Read more

-- Among the health benefits of folic acid is that it can help prevent birth defects in a growing fetus. But pregnant women aren't the only people who should take it. The Womenshealth.gov website says these people may benefit from folic acid: Women who are pregnant or who want to become pregnant, or breast-feeding mothers. Women who have given birth to a baby with spina bifida who want to get pregnant again. Women who have a family member with spina bifida. Women who have spina bifida and want to become pregnant. People taking medication to manage chronic disease, such as epilepsy, type 2 diabetes, inflammatory bowel disease, lupus, asthma, rheumatoid arthritis or psoriasis. People who are on dialysis. People who have sickle cell anemia, celiac disease or liver disease. People who frequently consume more than one alcoholic drink daily. Read more

MONDAY, Oct. 11 – Despite reducing levels of a protein associated with heart disease, supplements containing the B vitamin folic acid don't reduce the risk for cardiovascular disease, death or cancer, according to a new large-scale analysis of studies on the issue. Folic acid helps prevent devastating neural tube birth defects such as spina bifida. Since it also lowers blood levels of the protein homocysteine, which is linked with heart and blood vessel disease and other ills, some scientists hoped that the powerful vitamin might lower the risk of heart disease, stroke or cancer. The current meta-analysis suggests that even taken at high doses, folic acid supplements don't have that effect. The report is published in the Oct. 11 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine. "Vitamins are necessary to prevent diseases of deficiency like scurvy and rickets, but more is not necessarily ... Read more

TUESDAY, Oct. 5 – The American Academy of Pediatrics has issued a report that outlines new guidelines concerning the iron needs of infants and children. The report also details new procedures for identifying and following up on signs of iron deficiency and iron anemia – procedures that rely not just on a single test, but rather a combination of screening techniques. "Iron deficiency remains common in the United States," report co-author Dr. Frank Greer, a former chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics committee on nutrition, said in an AAP news release. "And now we know more about the long-term, irreversible effects it can have on children's cognitive and behavioral development. It's critical to children's health that we improve their iron status starting in infancy." "Ideally, we would prevent iron deficiency and iron-deficiency anemia with a diet consisting of foods that are ... Read more